shares her best hair colour tips

How to achieve the best results

Keep it natural: Choose a colour just one or two shades away from your natural hair. This will suit your skin tone and is less damaging. Keep in mind that very dark shades can look harsh on older women and make sure the colour you choose has the right undertones to complement your natural skin colourings.

Save your clothes: Always wear a button up shirt, this gives easy access when it comes time to wash colour out. Remove all jewellery and wear the gloves provided to prevent colour staining your hands. Before you start your colour, rub Vaseline to the hairline to protect your hair from getting the 'just coloured look'. If you do stain your skin, use a little bit of perfume on a tissue to rub it off.

Consider your complexion: Your complexion is the key to making the right colour choice. If you have an ivory or creamy coloured skin, you can be as adventurous as you like. However, if you have a pale pink-toned or ruby complexion choose neutrals such as ash blonde, ash brown or dark brown.

Save Brushing and Washing for later: Never brush or shampoo hair immediately before using blonding products or permanent colours, as this can over-stimulate the scalp, causing irritation when the colour is applied.

Belinda busts a few myths

Colouring leaves my hair in bad condition
FALSE 'These days at-home products are gentler and most kits contain conditioning treatments for use after colouring to close the hair cuticle and restore softness. Try Nice 'n Easy ColourSeal Gloss which leaves hair healthy-looking, shiny and more manageable.'

Colour treatment causes hair loss
FALSE 'Hair colour will not instigate hair loss unless the original hair is over processed and colour is not applied properly," says Belinda. When dyeing at home with colour such as Nice 'n Easy always read the instructions and perform a strand test before applying a total colour for the best results."

Hair colouring during pregnancy is harmful
FALSE 'Some physicians disagree, but most believe that colouring the hair during pregnancy is not dangerous to the baby. I suggest consulting your physician's permission to colour your hair during pregnancy. Most experts believe the key danger with hair coloring is not the application of the product to the scalp but the inhalation of the strong chemical odor'.